Man's Spontaneous Detour Leads Him to Missing Child

A toddler who went missing from her home in Lorain, Ohio, on Wednesday was found alive early Thursday thanks to one man's spontaneous detour. Lana Lowther, 2, was reported missing from her house around 8:45pm while wearing only footed pajamas, reports Cleveland.com. Authorities and volunteers, assisted by helicopters, tracking dogs, and thermal imaging cameras, searched for her until 1am, but to no avail, per the Chronicle-Telegram. Minutes later, around 1:15am, Andrew Tornabene was making the short drive home from his sister's house when he decided to deviate from his traditional route and look for the girl he'd heard about on social media. About half a mile from her home, he saw Lana "staggering on the corner and falling into the snow," per Fox 8 and ABC 5.

He jumped out of his car and "she threw her arms up and grabbed me," Tornabene says. "She was shivering." He says he put Lana in his vehicle to warm up—it was about 22 degrees outside—then called police. There were cheers on the other end. Lana was taken to a hospital with signs of exposure but "she's doing well," her mom tells WKYC. "I'm just so thankful she was found." Police aren't sure how Lana was able to leave her home or where she was in the hours she was missing. Officials say her body temperature suggested she may not have been outside for the entire duration of her absence, per ABC 5. "If someone took her, shame on you," Lana’s grandmother says. "All I can say is, whoever found her, thank you." (Elsewhere in Ohio, a baby survived a horrific ordeal because a car was kept running.)